Labeling machine



Jam 11? mm J, D, MC LATCHIE 2,495,174

LABELING MACHINE Filed May 9, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet l 27 1 INVENTOR.Ja'myfl/Vc [km-6M5 ATTORNEY Jana W, 11959 J, MCCLATCHIE ZAQSJM QLABELING MACHINE Filed May 9, 1347 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 gzamw-mmisiaam im W\l 6 JNVENTOR.

a/v/v Q Ma. (Zara/WE ATTO/PEV J. D. M CLATCHJE LABELING MACHINE 4Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 9, 1947 INVENTOR.

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Illllll Jan. 117, l5 J. D. M cLATcHlE 2,495,174

LABELING MACHINE Filed May 9, 1947 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 V 4777/9/VEXPatented Jan. 17, 1950 Nl'lED s'rarss QEFF'ICE LABELING MAGHINE John D.McClatchi-, Middletown, N. Y.

Application May '9, 1947, Serial No. 747,085

7 Claims. ((21. tie- 4) This invention relates to labeling machines,

Another object of the invention is to provide 1:

a labelling machine having a construction which insures a positivemovement of the ,receptacleslor objects being labelled through themachine, and in which the means for advancing the receptacles or otherobjects through the machine acts on each object independently of theothers and with the same pressure. With the improved machine thepropelling force on one object is in no way lessened by the presence ofother obiects ahead of it or behind it.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a machine throughwhich the objects being moved will be advanced .so uniformly that otheroperations, such as the printing of a. batch mark or date, can beperformed on the labels at any predeterrnired location thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide a yielding means, in theform of an aireinfiated shoe on a propelling or feed wheel, whichadvances the receptacles or other objects "through the machine byfrictional engagement with the surfaces of the same, such a yielding orcom: pressible means compensating for any slight differences in diameterof the receptaclesor other objects, this being particularly true in thecase of glass containers or jars.

Another objectof the invention-is to provide a machine of this characterin which the contact pressure of the advancing means -'on the objectsbeing labelled may be positively controlled.

More particularly, the invention contemplates the provision of arotatable feeding wheel provided with a yieldable shoe on its periphery,said shoe being maintained in contact with the surfaces of the objectsto'be labelled to thereby rotate said objects and bodilymove thesamealong a support to a station where the objects receive anapplication of glue spots on their surfaces. Thereafter the wheel movesthe objects to a label holder where each object adhesively en- 2 gages.a label, strips it from the holder and causes it :to be wrapped and adhesively secured about the object, whereupon the applied "label isfirmly press d plac These and ther objects are attained ,by theinvention, a mor par c lar description of which will hereinafter appeara d be set forth in the claims appended here o.

In he a c mpany n r wi where n ustrative emb dime of h in ention is disled. Fi 1 is a op p an v w o a label n machine, constructed in accordancewith the invennon; Fig 2 is a view showing a jar orother like receptacleto be labelled, and indicatin the man.-

' 1 in wh h he ln ceptacle engaces o e o the labels to be applied to it;Fig. 3 .is a sectional View, showing .the glue-applying means and neh ce 0 ti g and a vanc ng ans as constructed for operation upon relativelytall bottles or like cylindrical receptacles; Fig. i is a (vert calsectional view through the machine; ,5 is side elevation of the upperportion of (the ma- ,chine Fig. 6 is a top plan view, with parts insection, the section being taken on the line of Fig. '7, looking-intheclirectionof theai" s,.of the label stack and parts adjacent to thesame, including the pressing means for memento edportion of the appliedlabels; Fig. 8 isa sectional view of oneof the adjustablelabel-retaining pins and the mounting for the same; 313. 19 is a frontview, with parts ,in section, of the dev ce which applies spots of glueto the surface of each receptacle; 1:0 is a vertical sectional viewthrongh the glue-applying means of Fig. '9; Fig. 11 a sectional view"taken on the-line ll-ll of Fig. 10, looking in the direction of thearrows; Fig.1? is a sectional view taken on the line -l2-i'2 of Fig. lO,looliin'g in the-direction of the arrows; Fig. -1:3 'is a sectional viewshowing-the label stack an'lthe means for applying glue to each labelbefore-the same is taken :from the stack by a receptacle; Fig. 14 is asectional view, taken atrig'nt-angles'to that of Fig. 13, through theglue-applying means for the labels, and Fig. 15 is a plan View of aportion of the machine, showing the application thereto of means forintermittently rotating the glue-feed for the labels.

Referring to thedrawings, indicates thesu'pporting base of the anachine,which rests upon the :floor, and mounted thereon is a housing ,2

containing gearing, including a driving worm 3. Worm 3 is secured upon ashaft 4, mounted in suitable bearings, and externally of the housing 2,the shaft 4 carries a pulley 5, driven by a belt 5 from a motor 1suitably mounted upon the base Rising from the housing 2 is a tubularpost or standard 8, which contains a vertically disposed rotatable shaft9, mounted at its lower end in the bearing l5 and carrying a gear H inmesh with and driven by the worm 3. At the upper end of the post orstandard 8 is fixedly attached a circular table l2 through which thevertical shaft 9 extends, the upper portion of said shaft carryingpulleys which drive a turntable and two glueapplying devices to be laterdescribed.

Fixed on the shaft 9, as by the pin I3, is a receptacle-advancing androtating wheel l4, herein referred to for convenience as the feed wheel,and the same consists of a relatively large-diameter spoked wheelprovided with a rim IE on which is fixedly secured a compressible,yielding, air-inflated tube or shoe I5, which may be in the nature of asmall-diameter pneumatic tire. This pneumatic shoe It thus provides thefeed wheel with a yielding and adaptable periphery which engages theobjects 25 to be labelled and rotates the same positively and at auniform rate of speed, at the same time advancing them toward thedischarge end of the machine. The shoe i6 is provided with aconventional tire valve El by means of which it may be inflated to therequired extent to enable it to firmly and frictionally engage thereceptacles to be labelled and rotate them, while advancing them fromthe entrance end of the machine to the egress end.

Secured upon the vertical shaft 9 is a pulley l8 about which extends acrossed belt l9 which passes about a pulley 25 secured upon a shortshaft 2|, rotative in the bearing 2211 at the end of an arm 22 securedto the table 2 by the screws 23. Fastened to the shaft 2| is a feedingturntable 24 on which the objects to be labelled, such as receptacles25, shown in the drawing as glass jars, are manually placed or else arefed thereto by suitable conveying means, to be transported by theturntable to a position where they are successively engaged by the feedwheel Hi and moved thereby to the first glue-applying station. Securedon the upper end of the shaft 2| is a disk 25 which serves to maintainthe receptacles in a line, with the aid of the curved or arcuate guiderail 25, clearly shown in Fig. 1.

As seen in Fig. 1, the receptacles 25 are carried by the turntable 24 inthe direction of the arrow appearing on the turntable, to the pointindicated at 25a, where the receptacle there located is contacted by theperiphery of the yielding shoe l6 and is rotated thereby in a directionopposite to that in which the feed wheel I 4 rotates to thereby shiftthe receptacle bodily in the direction of travel of the feed wheel. Thefeed wheel thus acts as a friction drive against the receptacles 25 sothat the receptacles, in spaced relation, are rotated by the feed wheeland are moved forwardly in the direction of movement of the feed wheel.It will be noted that the table I2 is formed at the top with a radiallyextending flange 2'! constituting an annular support on which thereceptacles rest upright and on their bottoms while they are beingrotated by the feed wheel and are being advanced thereby toward theoutlet end of the machine. Extending partly around the periphery of thefeed wheel 4 and spaced therefrom, is a rail 28, supported by thebrackets 29 extending from table l2. The rail 28 is interrupted atseveral points to permit the rotating receptacles 25 to contact with aglue-applying means shown at 30 and with labels in a stack shown at 66.The space between the yielding periphery of the feed wheel l4 and therail 28 constitutes a channel through which the receptacles to belabelled are moved while being rotated by the feed wheel I4. Due to thefact that the feed wheel l4 rotates at a greater speed than theturntable 24, the pick-up of the receptacles by the feed wheel is suchas to space the receptacles apart as they are moved by the feed wheel,substantially as shown in Fig. 1.

At 30 is generally indicated the glue-applying station where eachreceptacle 25 has applied to its surface, two or more dabs or spots ofglue as indicated at 3| in Fig. 2, so that by means of these spots ofglue, the receptacles can adhesively engage and withdraw a label from astack and cause such label to be wrapped about the receptacle. Theglue-applying station 30 includes a glue receptacle 32, containing glue34, which is heated and kept in fluid condition by means of a heater 33located below the receptacle 32 and electrically operated. The gluereceptacle 32 is supported from angle-bars 35, 36 extending radiallyfrom the table i2, upon which the glue receptacle is adjustably securedby means of bolts 37. Said bolts 3! are adjustable in slots 38 in theangle bars 35, 36 to thereby enable the glue receptacle to be broughttoward or away from the receptacles 25 moved by the feed wheel, and byadjustment of the nuts on said bolts the glue receptacle can be raisedor lowered to cause the glue spots to be applied at the desired pointson the surface of each of the receptacles 25.

The construction of the glue receptacle and associated parts is mostclearly disclosed in Figs. 9 to 12 inclusive, wherein it will be notedthat the glue receptacle includes an upwardly-extending housing 40provided with a top 4| formed with a bearing 42 in which a shaft 43 isrotated. At its upper end, the shaft 43 carries a gear 44 in mesh with asimilar gear 45 secured on a shaft 46 rotative in a bearing 47 arisingfrom the top plate 4| of the housing 46. Also secured on the shaft 46 isa pulley 47 engaged by a crossed belt 48 which extends about a pulley 49fixed on the driven vertical shaft 9. Fastened on the shaft 46 is a pairof spaced adjustable glue-applying rollers 50, 5| which contact with thesurface of each jar or receptacle 25 as the same is moved past them, tothereby apply two spots or dabs of glue to the surface of the jar orreceptacle, as indicated at 3| in Fig, 2. These gluing rollers 50 and 5|receive the glue by rotative contact against a cylinder 5| secured onthe shaft 43. At its lower end, the shaft 43 carries a gear 52 rotativein a gear-pump housing 53 partly submerged in the glue contents 34. Alsocontained in the gear pump housing 53 is another gear or idler 54 whichco-operates with the driven gear 52 to constitute a gear pump to feedglue to the surface of the cylinder 5|. A feed pipe 55 (Figs. 11 and 12)leads from a point adjacent to the bottom of the glue receptacle 32 intothe gear pump housing to reach the gears 52 and 54, and the glue drawnin by the gears 52 and 54 is fed upwardly through a vertical tube 56.From the upper end of the tube 56 the glue is expelled against thesurface of the cylinder 5| to be transmitted therefrom to the edges ofthe rollers 50 and 5| to be applied therefrom to the receptacles 25. Theglue-applying rollers 50 and '51 have access to surfaces of thereceptacles or jars 25 through an opening or window El provided in thefront wall 58 of the glue-receptacle housing 411. The glue fed to thesurface of the vertically disposed cylinder 55' out of the tube 56 flowsdownwardly from cylinder I and is recaptured in the receptacle or tank32 so that none is wasted or spilled about during oporation of themachine.

"Ihrough the glue-applying means above described it will be apparentthat as each receptacle or jar reaches the glue-applying rollers 50 andthe same will apply two spaced spots or dabs of glue 3| to eachreceptacle, and each receptacle bearing the glue spots, is then moved,while continuin its rotation, to the label stack, generally indicated at6B. The label stack and associated parts are supported from the pedestalor post 8 by means of a bracket 81 (Fig. '5), provided with a "clamp 62by means of which it is clamped to the post 8, as noted in Figs. 4 and5. An adjustable arm 63 is fastened to the bracket 5! and said arm isformed with a vertically-extending end portion'fi l which supportsa baseplate 65 of the labelsupporting means.

The stack of labels is shown at E6, and the same rests upon the baseplate 65 and is urged in a direction toward the receptacles or jars 25by means of a follower 51 operative against the rear of the label stackby means of the weight 68 dependent from a chain 69 attached to a headill at the end of a stem "H afiixed to the follower 6?. Chain 69 isoperative over a pulley I2 rotatively supported in a bracket 13extending from the vertical arm 64. The label stack 66 is held againstraising movement by means of a plate 14 having studs 75 at its oppositeends, said stud-s passing through openings in fixed end supports 16, thelatter supports being mounted at the upper ends of posts ll rising fromthe base plate 65 of the label holder. Springs 18 surround the studs 15and tend to hold the plate resilientl against the top of the label stackto hold the stack in proper alignment. At one end of the label stack isan aligning strip abutment 19 against which that end of the stack 66 ismaintained. At the front of the label stack is provided a number oflabel-retaining pins $8, the details of which are shown in Fig. 8.Several of these pins are mounted in the plate M and others are mountedin the label-holder base plate 85. The pins 80 are each adjustablethrough a guide sleeve 8| threaded in the plate 14 or base plate 65 andeach pin 80 can be set in any desired position or protrusion out of itssleeve 8! and so maintained by means of a set-screw '82. Each pin isformed with a bevelled edge 83 engaging the forward end of the labelstack {$55 and thus retaining the labels in the stack and preventing thesame from being urged out of the stack by the pressure of the follower61. At one end of the label stack, or that adjacent to which thereceptacles first contact the labels, is provided a pair of springfingers III] which overlie the front label in the stack and hold thisend of the label in position until it is engaged by the receptacle andstripped from the stack. This arrangement is such that while the labelsare held in the stack as above explained, the labeis may be successivelystripped from the stack by the contact of the glue-spotted surfaces ofthe rotating jars or receptacles 2'5 and caused to be wrapped around thereceptacles in a manner to be presently explained.

At one end of the label stack is located means for applying a line orstrip of glue r adhesive each of the labels in the stack so that as eachlabel is drawn from the stack that label will bear a line of glue oradhesive at one or its ends, as indicated-at 84 in Fig. '2. The meansfor applying this line of glue 84 consists of a spiral feeder 85rotative in a vertical tube 86, said tube forming a downward extensionfrom a glue-tank '81 in which the upper end of the spiral feeder 8 5rotatable as seen in Fig. 14. At its upper end, the spiral feeder 35 isprovided with ap'ull'ey 88 which receives a belt extending about apulley '9'! carried on the driven vertical shaft 9. As will be noted inFig. 13, a portion of the sleeve -86 is cut away to allow the spiralglue feeder 85 'to operate directly against the end of outermost labelin the stack and thus apply the line of glue 8 3 thereto before thelabel is stripped from the stack.

The manner in which a label is applied to each of the jars or otherreceptacles 25 will be clear from Fig. 6. Attention is called to the iaror other receptacle 25 which has reached a point designated at 2512 andis being rotated as indielated by the arrow on said jar, while at thesame time it is being bodily shifted or rolled the direction of thearrows appearing on the feed wheel "i l. Said jar 25?] has had its gluespots 31 brought into contact with the surface of the outermost labeltil in the stack and the label will thus adhere to the glue spots 3! andas the jar continues its rotation it will start to strip the label fromthe stack and the label will begin to roll up on the jar. As themovement continues, the label will be pull-ed or stripped clear of thestack. One of the labels at this point is indicated at 3th, and thelabel so removed "will have its end "portion provided with the gluestrip 84. This end of the label will next be brought into overlappingrelation with the 'flr's'tend of the applied label. The receptacles orjars 25, with the labels "applied to the same will next be slightlycompressed between the yie'ding shoe T6 of the feed wheel and therubber-lined wall of a part of the rail 28. The lining 95 is formed witha protrusion 96, constituting a pressing element employed to applypressure against the overlapped end portions of the label and cause afirm adherence of these overlapped ends, thus securely affixing thelabel in place. After being pressed in the manner set forth, thelabelled jars or receptac'les are diverted by a guide strip '98 from offthe supporting flange 2L? to suitable conveying means or elsewhere asrequired for packing or other treatment.

From the foregoing, the operation of the improved labelling machine willbe readily understood. The receptacles to be labelled are placed on theturntable 24 and are fed thereby to the feed wheel M which moves themalong on the support 27 while rotating them. Each receptacle is broughtinto rotative contact with the glueapplying rollers 50 and 5| and itreceives the two spaced spots of glue therefrom on its surface asindicated at 3! in Fig. 2. In the case of tall or lengthy receptacles,the number of rollers 50 and 5| may be increased, as indicated,forexample, by the additional roller 5H1 in Fig. 3. Also in'such a case,two or more feed wheels 14 may be used as indicated in Fig. 3,wherein anadditional feed wheel is designated at Ma. The jars or receptacles '25are moved along in uniformly spaced relationship while being rotated andas each reaches the label stack 66 it will engage a label thereinadjacent to one end of the label by means of the glue spots 3| and willstrip the label from the stack. As the rotation of the jar or otherreceptacle is continued, the label will be wrapped smoothly about thejar, and the gummed end of thelabel, to which the line of glue 84 hasbeen applied by the spiral feeder 85, will be applied against the jarand in overlapping relation to the first-applied end of the label. Ifthe label is one which does not completely encircle the jar, theadhesive-bearing end will be pressed directly against the face of thejar and will b caused to adhere thereto. As the jars or otherreceptacles to which the labels have been applied leave the label stackthey are rotatively urged against the soft lining 95 of the rail 28, andagainst the protrusion 96, with the result that the applied labels aresmoothly pressed in place befor the receptacles are shunted away fromthe feed wheel I4 by means of the guide strip 98.

The constant maintenance of the yielding shoe portion I6 of the feedwheel I 4 against the receptacles insures a positive movement of thereceptacles through the machine, with the receptacles maintained inuniformly spaced relation, since the feed wheel acts upon each of thereceptacles independently of the others.

In the embodiment of the invention as disclosed in Fig. 1, the spiralglue feeder 85 is shown as being rotated continuously by drive from thebelt 89. It may be found desirable to rotate this glue feederintermittently, and in such an instance, an intermittent drive, such asdisclosed in Fig. 15 might be employed. Therein is shown a bracket I00,projecting radially from the table 1 I 2, and supporting a rotatingshaft IOI on which is secured a pulley I02. Said pulley I02 drives acrossed belt I03 which extends about a pulley I04 secured on the upperend of the spiral feeder 85. Shaft I0l carries a spider I05, each arm ofwhich carries a roller I06. This arrangement is such that each time areceptacle 25 is rotated past the spider I05, it will contact with oneof the rollers thereon and move the spider for a quarter turn, which,through belt I03 will rotate the spiral feeder 85.

In herein referring to the articles to which the labels are applied, asreceptacles, jars, and the like, I do not wish to be understood aslimiting the machine to the labelling of such specific articles since itis clear that it can be used for the application of labels to manycylindrical objects. Hence, the terms receptacles and jars will beunderstood to be merely illustrative and it is intended to comprehend bythese terms any articles which can be satisfactorily labelled by themachine and method herein described and claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In a labeling machine, a rotating wheel, an

arcuate guide wall spaced from the wheel, a gluing station to whichobjects to be labelled are retatively moved by the wheel, a label holderto which glue-spotted objects are rotatively moved by the wheel andcaused to contact labels and strip them from the holder and becomewrapped around the objects, intermittently rotating means for applyingglue to the labels in the holder, a rotating drive for the label-gluingmeans including a spider carrying arms located between the rotatingobjects to cause the spider to be moved rotatively.

2. In a labelling machine, a rotating wheel having a flexible tiremounted around its rim, guides spaced equidistant from the periphery ofsaid wheel and forming a channel between them and said wheel, saidchannel extending partly around the wheel, a rotating disk for feedingcontainers to said channel where the same are engaged by the wheel andcaused to roll along the guides and within the channel, means forapplying a label pick-up adhesive to the containers, said meansincluding a rotating cylinder over which a film of adhesive is caused toflow and including a rotating shaft having disks contacting with thecylinder to receive adhesive therefrom and transferring said adhesive tothe containers as the same are rotated past said rollers, a labelmagazine for holding a stack of labels and presenting one end portion ofeach label to a container as each container passes through the machine,a paste-applying means for the labels including a paste container havinga tube extending from it, said tube having an aperture in one of itswalls, a helical rotating member in said tube and extending into thepaste container for the purpose of feeding paste from the pastecontainer to the opening into the tube and against labels successivelydisposed thereover.

3. In a labeling machine, means for rotating containers and moving thesame along a support, means for applying spaced spots of an adhesive onthe containers as they are rotatively moved past said adhesive-applyingmeans, the adhesiveapplying means including a glue receptacle, avertically-disposed cylinder rotatively mounted above the gluereceptacle, a pump operative in the glue in the receptacle for conveyingglue to and distributing said glue over the surface of the cylinder, anda shaft carrying rollers in contact with the periphery of the cylinderto thereby receive glue therefrom and transferring the same to thesurfaces of the containers as the containers are rotatively moved pastand brought into contact with said rollers.

41. In a labeling machine, means for rotating containers and moving thesame along a support, means for applying glue spots to the containers asthey are rotatively moved past said adhesiveapplying means, theadhesive-applying means including a glue receptacle, a gear pumpcontained in the glue within the receptacle, a shaft arising from saidpump and rotatively driven thereby, said shaft carrying a cylinder, thegear pump being provided with an outlet which directs glue to thesurface of the cylinder, a rotating shaft carrying rollers maintained incontact with the surface of the cylinder to receive glue therefrom, saidrollers being located in a position to contact with the surfaces ofreceptacles and apply glue thereto as the receptacles are rotativelymoved past the rollers.

5. In a labeling machine, a rotating wheel,

I gluing means to which the objects to be labeled are rotatively movedby the wheel, a label holder to which glue-spotted objects arerotatively moved by the wheel and caused to contact labels and stripthem from the holder and become Wrapped around the objects,intermittently-rotating means for applying glue to the labels in theholder, means for intermittently rotating said label-gluing means, saidrotating means including elements projecting in the path of movement ofthe objects and moved by the passage of said objects.

6. In a labeling machine as provided for in claim 5 wherein the elementsin the path of movement of the objects are radial arms on a rotativeshaft, and a driving coupling between said shaft and theintermittently-rotating gluing means.

'7. In a labeling machine, means for rotating containers and moving thesame along a support, means for applying adhesive on part of the surfaceof the containers as they are moved past said adhesive-applying means,the adhesiveappiying means comprising a glue receptacle, a rotatingcylinder mounted above the glue receptacle, a pump operative in thereceptacle to convey glue to and distribute the glue over the surface ofthe cylinder and permit surplus glue to drain off the cylinder back intothe glue receptacle, and at least one rotative roller in contact withthe periphery of the cylinder to receive glue 15 2,039,325

10 therefrom and transfer the same to the surfaces of the containers asthe containers are rotatively moved. past and brought into contact withsaid roller.

JOHN D. MCCLATCHIE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 787,744 Fisher et a1 Apr. 18,1905 1,812,007 Krone June 30, 1931 Morral May 5, 1936

